


The Feral King

by Gay_as_fuck



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Things are Worse, Amnesia, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Confusion, Dehumanization, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Muteness, Slavery, Trauma, Trust Issues, but very slightly, calling someone an it, crocbait - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2019-05-03 14:15:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14570781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gay_as_fuck/pseuds/Gay_as_fuck
Summary: When they throw a half crazed animal into her cage, Valeera tries to kill it. Broll convinces her that perhaps they should try and save it instead.





	The Feral King

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to dehumanize varian more...let him be a wolf! this is angsty but y'know what? the crimson ring winners are angsty and they deserve better ( not that i'm giving it to them.) 
> 
> In my drive this was called "World of I hate rehgar earthfury, or why can't varian have regular trauma." 
> 
> If you want a good Varian as Lo'gosh song try "Werewolf gimmick" by the mountain goats

When they throw a half crazed animal into her cage, Valeera tries to kill it. The thing is curled in on itself on the other end of the caravan cage, letting out a few deep growls in Valeera’s direction. She and Broll have pushed themselves towards the other side of the cage. She hates being pushed up so close against him, but there isn’t much room anyways. 

The cage had been bursting with slaves once, but as they’ve traveled on more and more have been sold off. Now, it’s just them and that thing. Two strangers and an animal forced together in the dying light of day.

She figures it’s just another one of Rehgar’s tests, to see if they’re really worth keeping. It’s Broll who keeps her from going over to the beast and breaking its neck. She’d slit its throat if she had a blade. 

While she stares down the creature, and imagines the best angle to go about her deed, Broll examines it. His usual frown has shifted into something else, lips pursed and eyebrows drawn close. 

She steps forward only for him to catch her arm, keeping her close. She bristles at that, and turns back to him fuming. 

“What! It’s going to go hungry and try to kill us eventually!” She shouts, not caring who hears her. Rehgar hates it when she’s loud, but she hates him more. 

“There’s something wrong with its energy, I’ve never seen any animal give off an aura like this one before.” His grip on her upper arm is solid, refusing to let her lunge for anything but him.

“All the more reason we should kill it.” The thing lets out a yowl as it turns its head towards Valeera. The matted fur around its head is centered in a long mane, trailing the thing’s dirty back. There are shackles around its legs and neck. Blood spatter and mud cover most of its brown pelt. She can’t make out much else due to the lack of light. 

Valeera takes a step back when she meets its eyes. They’re red and brimming with a mix of bloodlust and fear. They are only a few feet of empty space between her and that thing. If it comes down to a fight, she knows it will try to rip her apart. 

Yet- there is still something off about it. It takes her a moment, but she realizes it all the same. The thing had let out its worst cry yet when she had mentioned killing it. It’s not like any animals she’s ever seen.

It’s just a coincidence, it has to be. 

“I need to get a closer look.” Broll says as he tries to stand. He can’t, the cage is simply too small for anyone but Valeera to stand, and even then she has to bend down slightly to do so. He lets his grip go slack, so Valeera takes to opportunity to free herself from him at least. 

“That thing won’t hesitate to kill you.” She warns him. She’s well aware that if that thing kills Broll, Rehgar will have no intention of cleaning up the body. The beast can eat his remains, so no extra food will be wasted. 

“I know what i’m doing.” He tells her and moves forward on all fours. The thing cowers back and lets out another growl. Broll is not dissuaded, and reaches out one hand to the creature. It stops growling, and looks over the hand. 

“Get back here Broll.” Valeera insists from her side of the caravan, tensely waiting for the thing to strike out. He doesn’t reply, instead he reaches out a little further, and lays his hand on the thing’s side. 

“Valeera.” He says in a hushed tone, which shocks her. He turns back to her with wide eyes as the thing lets out a whimper. 

“What?” She insists, and takes a step forward, now that the thing seems less of a threat. She moves too quickly and the animal bites Broll’s hand. 

He startles back to their side and stares down at the wound. Valeera bends over to see it, now crouched down on the floor. 

“That thing-” He starts, still mesmerized by both the wound and the information Valeera now knows. “Isn’t an animal” 

The marks on his hand aren’t those of an animal. Valeera has spent enough time hunting them to know. She’s not sure exactly which race the thing across from her belongs to.

“Maybe, it’s a werewolf who can’t turn anymore?” She asks, unsure of even her own conclusion. The thing lets out another yowl at that, but slightly softer than last time. 

“Was that a no?” She asks again, more hesitant this time to chalk up the thing’s cries to coincidence. 

“Perhaps.” Broll replies and she can’t tell which question he’s answering. Instead she stares back at the thing- Werewolf, person, whatever. 

She isn’t sure it even classifies as a person, with the way its acting and all. It didn’t punch or kick and Broll it bit him. 

“I wonder if it can speak.” Broll asks aloud, but the creature refuses to answer. It shifts its weight and lays down. It almost seems like a child with the way it curls into a ball, probably hoping to protect itself from them. 

Not an unreasonable assumption considering she was thinking about killing it just a few moments ago. Not that she’s really stopped thinking that, perhaps it would be best just to put the thing out of its misery. 

Unless it some magic keeping the thing like that, she almost can’t imagine the mental state it must be in. The almost is the important part, she can remember nights on the streets with no food and no mana. Stuck with a hunger that burned at the pit of her stomach. 

She had been an angry, feral creature then. She had spoken then, and been aware of her surroundings. This thing, well she couldn’t be sure it even knew it wasn’t an animal. 

“We should still kill it.” She spoke slowly, and saw the thing lock eyes with her. It seemed to know her intent, it could probably understand her common. She shifted to her elvish, which was rusty but she hoped the thing wouldn’t understand and make it harder. 

“That thing, I’m not sure we can call it a person.” Broll was shocked at that, but replied in elvish all the same.

“No, we need to figure out what it is.” 

“Why?” She bit back at him, anger suddenly coursing through her veins. How could he care so little about the suffering thing. 

“I- want to help it.” Broll’s voice was low and traced with shame. She would have laughed if she had not been so full of rage. 

“Killing it will help it. Why let it suffer?” 

“I want to do more than hurt Valeera. I want to remember who I am.” He was a warrior shaman yes, but he also knew how to heal. He had demonstrated that power to her when they had first be slammed into the cart together. 

“Try your magic then, see what you can do.” He paused for a moment and looked over his own hands. He could only make out the outlines of them by now. The moon overhead was the only light they had. 

“I need a staff. Before this I would have been able to but, I haven’t had enough magic to stop my starving since i’ve been here.” It was something they understood, the craving for magic all elfs were cursed with.  
“Please Valeera”, He said after a moment of silence. She had never heard him ask for something before. He was prideful sure, but things were getting desperate. Between all the traveling, “training”, and starving even she was having trouble remembering who she was. 

They’d been on the road for months now, and even the sneaky, clever, always reinventing Valeera was starting to break slowly. She lets him have this.

“If we get attacked, I’m putting it down.” Broll doesn’t argue with her, instead he keeps looking down their companion. She settles down next to Broll while attempting stay on guard. She can no longer see its eyes glowing, meaning that it was asleep.

Valeera began to flag as well. Despite her best efforts her muscles went lax and her eyes began to flicker closed. She’s well aware of the dangers that come from trusting people, but her body doesn’t care. 

She falls asleep next to Broll, warm steady and a little less terrified. 

\---

Broll wakes in a start when something is jams into his side. He pulls away, eyes springing open. Rehgar stands on the outside of their cage with a simple staff pushed through the bars. 

“Time to work.” Rehgar pulled the staff out and let it clatter to the floor. Valeera had woken when Broll had jostled her. She grumbled and rubbed at her eyes before staring down Rehgar. 

“Fuck you.” Valeera spits out causing Broll to stiffen. The sun has just barely raised itself over the hills and she is already causing trouble. Rehgar lets out a growl before quickly unlocking the cage. Broll crawls out which Valeera follows.

She makes her exit, and just as she takes her first steps on the ground Rehgar slams the staff into her back. She stumbles but does not fall, instead walking over to Broll. 

The creature in the cage has yet to wake, causing Rehgar to poke it with his staff. In the light, it is more obvious that it was no animal. It has the look of being human, yet the way it acts is purely animalistic. 

Broll considers Valeera’s theory for a moment, perhaps they had run across a werewolf that could not turn. Or perhaps, this was just a human who had been torn down to the barest instincts. 

It shoots a quick glance at Broll and Valeera before exiting the caravan in a mad rush. Rehgar hits it again, with more force this time to keep it from running away. 

It shrinks away from Rehgar before standing to a rather impressive full height. Still shorter than Broll but not by much. It’s clearly has a male human physic from the sheer amount of body hair and heavy build. 

Bearing his teeth, he growls at Rehgar. In what Broll assumes is an attempt to protect himself, the man plasters himself to the side of the cage. 

“Crocbait, get the fuck over there.” Rehgar points towards Broll with his staff yet the man refuses to budge. Rehgar moves forward and hits his staff against Crocbait’s side, drawing out a cringe from “Crocbait.” Still he refused to move.

“Come this way Crocbait. There will be less pain.” Broll spoke up in a vain attempt to help. He looks to Broll, then to Rehgar, and back at Broll. Carefully and with deliberate slowness Crocbait makes his way around Rehgar in a wide arc. He stops close to Broll, but still a few feet away. 

Valeera gives an exhausted sigh and grabs Crocbait by the arm. He tries to pull away from her but she’s stronger than she looks. She gives him a harsh pull which leaves him between her and Broll. 

Broll stands a little further out in front of Crocbait and Valeera. Rehgar stares them down, hands tight around the staff. He walked towards them with heavy steps, refusing to look away from his captives. 

“Crocbait is our replacement for Bloodeye. You’re going to test him.” Broll isn’t quite sure what Rehgar means by that. He’s tested his team many times, but they’ve ranged from pain edurance to speed. 

“Try to kill him. Don’t hold back.” Rehgar tosses Broll the staff he had been holding and pulls a pair of daggers out from where they had been hooked to his belt. Valeera steps forward to claim them. 

He hands them over and allows her to inspect them. They’re dulled, not to spare Crocbait but instead to make sure Rehgar has an edge on her. He eats better than they do, and gets more exercise so it’s a wonder he needed to at all. 

Neither Broll or Valeera want to say anything positive about the captor but Broll has to admit something. Rehgar is smart not to underestimate desperation. 

She takes the daggers and shoots a look at Crocbait that is something akin to pity. Crocbait looks to the weapons given to Valeera and Broll before staring in confusion at Rehgar. He lets out a laugh at that.

“Oh no Crocbait, I’m going to see what you can do without a blade.” Broll can see something shift in Crocbait’s eyes. He’s feral again, and Rehgar seems to notice it too. He smiles as if he’s just won a bet. 

“Fight.” Broll doesn’t want to, but he rushes forward and casts the spell that turns him into a bear. He isn’t given the usual refreshing feeling when he transforms. It only wears on him further but he doesn’t have time to wonder why. 

Crocbait has rushed back so he goes to follow. He’s leading them into a forest which is a mistake. The moment he passes into the forest Valeera disappears into the trees. Broll slams one claw down into the space where Crocbait just was. He’s faster than Broll had assumed, but still bulky and exhausted. 

He avoids another attack from Broll, this time a bite. In his haste however he bashes himself against a tree. With a gasp he’s frozen for a second which gives Broll the time to bit into his leg. He could have killed him then, but he wants to help. 

Crocbait bends down and with his bare hands he begins to pry Broll’s jaws off his leg. He’s so shocked by Crocbait’s strength that his jaw falls slack. Crocbait pulls his own bleeding leg off the bear teeth and begins to climb up the tree. 

That’s where Valeera drops in, and with a rough cut breaks the branch he had just grabbed hold of. He tumbles down, the large branch still in his hands. His smiles but there’s no joy in it, only bite. He brandishes the cut end of the branch where he has a sharp point. 

To call it a weapon would be an overstatement yet it still sets Broll on edge. He’s still overpowering Crocbait, they have him cornered, and yet it feels as if the tide of the battle has shifted. 

He goes for Valeera, aiming for the center of her chest. She blocks it of course as her dagger ends up getting embedded in the wood. He pulls back just in time to avoid bearing the full brunt of Broll’s claws. 

He shifts the way he holds his weapon a little before lunging again. Valeera blocks once more, and he repeats the same movement of jumping back. This time however he sees Broll about to bite into his other leg. He jumps and lands deftly on Broll’s maw. He straddles Broll’s neck and begins to stab into Broll’s back. 

He roars and tries to buck Crocbait off to no avail. The blade is sharper than he would have imagined, and that’s when it hits him. The repetitive motions were not failed attempts at the same attack, but an attempt to sharpen the wood. 

He really underestimated this man. The attack is enough to hurt, but Broll is no serious danger. Valeera jumps towards Crocbait and lands atop Broll’s back. He’s still trying to knock Crocbait off but it’s not too much of a hindrance to Valeera. 

She’s already slicing at their shared enemy, leaving slashes in his arms. Despite the blood loss he’s still stabbing into Broll’s pelt. She goes to break the spear, slicing through it easily. Part of it is still burried in his fur while the rest is in Crocbait’s hands. 

He can’t dodge when she cuts down at him again, instead he tries to block it with his branch. She cuts through it, but it loses enough momentum that he is able to grab the handle. Valeera pushes it towards his chest. She’s got the advantage there even though he’s stronger. He guides the blade down as she pushes it forwards with all the force she has. It hits Broll’s side, and creates a wound deeper than that of Crocbait’s weapon. 

He grabs the blade, still lodged in Broll’s side, and lets his body relax somewhat. Broll is able to throw him off, and three things happen at once. 

The first is that Crocbait does not let go of the blade. The second is that said blade is pulled down Broll’s side, leaving an enormous gash in Broll’s side that gushes blood. The last, is that Valeera manages to get her second blad right up to Crocbait’s neck, just begging him to try something and die. 

She doesn’t. It would be so easy to kill him, and Rehgar wouldn’t mind if she did so. He might enjoy it, knowing that someone weak enough to be beaten by his poorly trained team wouldn’t lose him money. 

Not that she did anything based on whether or not Rehgar would like it. She kept him alive, half out of spite. There was also Broll who she was starting to trust despite her efforts not to. 

He wanted to help this man, and she’d be damned if he didn’t almost seem pitiable. What had been done to him to put him in such a state. He tightens his throat and in a hoarse voice lets out the first word he’s said since he was thrown in with them. 

“Please.” She thinks for a moment, that he’s begging for his life. It would make sense but if she were going to kill him, she would have by now. That’s not quite right, with the way he hasn’t tried to relax his throat to avoid the blade, or move back. 

It’s a deathwish, but one she will not grant him. 

“No. I’m surviving this, and you seem pretty handy to have around.” She’s not lying when she says it. She pulls her blade away gently from his neck, but he doesn’t move. Before Broll turns back, Valeera pulls her blade out of his side along with Crocbait’s branch. 

Broll transforms back, exhausted from the wound. He’s not standing, instead Broll’s kneeling on the ground clutching his side. Valeera inspects the damage and gives an exhausted groan, this is just more complications than they need right now. 

Crocbait stands and moves away from them. He’s still wary of them, but he moves faster than he had earlier that morning. She leans down and puts one arm around Broll’s shoulder. He copies the motion and they rise slowly together. 

Broll groans and lays his free hand on the wound. A soft green light glows from it which lessens the bleeding slightly. He takes a sharp intake of breath before speaking. 

“That’s all I can do without my-” He looks up to see Crocbait in front of him, ready with exactly what he wanted. 

“Staff.” He finishes and takes it from Crocbait with a smile. Crocbait says nothing, as if he still lacked the words. Broll lifts the staff to his bleeding side and it glows stronger than just his hand had. 

The bleeding slows to a crawl and then the skin starts to stitch itself together again. There’s barely a layer of skin when Broll almost falls forward. Valeera manages to steady him. Crocbait takes the staff from Broll’s hands and starts off deeper into the woods. 

 

“You can’t go that way.” Broll says, which causes Crocbait to stop but not turn around. 

“He’s right, you won’t last a minute out in the wilds if you don’t have proper food and weaponry. If you’re lucky a hunter will come for you and kill you before starvation does. That or another slaver might find you.” Valeera picks up, she wants Crocbait to come with them even if she doesn't know him. 

For someone who prides herself on not getting attached in such a desperate situation, she’ll take what she can get. She could probably survive in the wilds right now, but she’s not going to leave Broll to die. 

Crocbait doesn’t move for a good minute before he returns to their side. Gently, he takes the blades from Valeera. The trio make their way towards the exit of the forest, ready to face Rehgar again. 

Rehgar is there waiting for them, and when he sees the aftermath he smiles.  
“How did Crocbait do? Well I assume if Broll’s like that.” Rehgar questions to which Broll clears his throat before speaking. 

“He took me down yes, but Valeera managed to subdue him.” Rehgar’s smile drops at that and he turns to Valeera. 

“Why isn’t he dead?” He asks, and Valeera is silent for a moment. He makes his way up to Valeera and draws a sharp dagger. Still she keeps her mouth closed. 

“Why isn’t he dead if you managed to take him down? I asked you not to hold back.” The blade his positioned right under her chin, a warning. Through gritted teeth Valeera answers. 

“He’s a damn good fighter. If trained up he’ll be better than the both of us combined.” Rehgar considers the point for a moment before drawing his blade back. Before he sheaths it he slices across Valeera’s cheek. She keeps back a growl and doesn’t move. 

“Smart girl.” He comments before moving over to Crocbait. He takes the twin blades back and places them on his belt next to his dagger. He takes the staff next and hits against some of his wounds. 

“Next time you won’t get so lucky.” Crocbait doesn’t say anything, not that Rehgar would have expected him to. 

“You’ve earned lunch.” He moves to some of the storage space under the caravan and removes a small sack. He tosses it to Crocbait who catches it easily. Rehgar then opens the door to the cage and points in. Valeera crawls in first and pulls Broll up with a fair amount of him groaning. Crocbait is next. He looks to them and follows despite how he stiffens when passing Rehgar.

The moment he’s in the door closes behind him and the lock clicks. Rehgar leaves them there while Crocbait opens the bag. It’s enough jerky to feed maybe two people at most but the look of it makes his mouth water. 

“You’re not taking all of that.” Valeera scolds and takes the bag from him with only a bit of protest. He tries to keep a hold of it, but ends up bending to her will anyways. He’s mellowed out a bit now that it seems they’re not going to kill him. 

She splits the food into three equally small portions before handing them over. Crocbait tares into his while she and Broll take a more slow approach. 

“You don’t have to be afraid of him.” Valeera comments between bites of what is probably horse meat. Crocbait looks up to her, a piece of meat still hanging from his mouth. 

“Rehgar is a coward, he only seems impressive because he has power over us.” Broll growls out, anger slipping into his exhausted tone. Valeera scoffs and takes another bite. 

“He’s nothing but a creepy asshole.” Crocbait doesn’t comment on that and it’s almost as if he never said anything in the forest. They eat in silence for a little while longer before Broll speaks again, completely out of food.

“I assume you can understand us?” He asks, to which Crocbait nods. He stares at Valeera’s last piece of jerky, not bothering to hide his interest. 

“Where did Rehgar find you?” Valeera wonders aloud before taking a bite of her meat, not really expecting an answer. Crocbait gives a whimper that probably has more to do with the food than it does his origins. 

“Are you a werewolf?” Crocbait shakes his head at Broll’s question. Valeera finishes of her meat, earning another sad grumble. When was the last time this man ate. 

“A human then?” She picks up for him. Crocbait nods and something in Valeera’s stomach sinks. This seems like regular old trauma more than it does a spell that keeps wargen docile. He’s probably just some lost traveler with trauma worse than hers, not that it’s a contest. 

The line of questioning goes silent from Broll’s end as well. Crocbait is probably some sailor who had washed up on the wrong beach. A concerning thought crosses Broll’s mind and he acts on it despite himself. 

“Do you have a name?” Valeera tilts her head to the side at the question and narrows her gaze on Crocbait. For a moment he doesn’t answer, his eyebrows knit together in frustration. He nods his head hesitantly.

It was an answer, but it didn’t seem to sturdy. The trio is silent for a moment while Broll considers what that answer truly means. While he thinks Valeera speaks up, always willing to cut to the chace.

“Do you remember your name?” He shakes his head and growls at the question. It’s a reasonable answer to the question, but it still makes Broll’s stomach sink. Because a man who does not remember his own name, probably can’t remember much else about his life. 

“Do you remember anything?” Broll has to ask, even though he can already guess the answer. Crocbait shakes his head no as a growl escapes him. 

Broll doesn’t think of Crocbait at that moment, instead his thoughts are driven to Anessa. Who would he be if he forgot her? He honestly can’t think of what he’d be if that loss was gone from his memory. 

He doesn’t allow himself to think of her being gone from his memory in full. Crocbait is old enough to be a parent by the look of him. Perhaps he has a daughter who he’s lost. 

Valeera doesn’t say anything. Instead she stares out the cage into the woods. 

\---

The team they’re facing isn’t starving, which should have worried them earlier. If a slave team isn’t starving then they’ve earned enough for their captor to buy them a good meal. 

Valeera, Broll, and Crocbait are starving. 

Valeera stares down their challenge as the all night elf team they’re up against admire their weapons. For once they’re allowed sharp weapons for maximum carnage. It’s a small stadium but it draws enough of a crowd that Rehgar is willing to test his team here. 

Broll has an eagle staff in his hands which he is swinging around gently. His eyes are fixated on the staff too focused to care about Valeera and Crocbait. The only rogue weapons she had found were a set of throwing knives. She had picked out a spear for Crocbait who is crouching down on the ground. 

Even in the full light of day he is still a wild man. They haven’t been able to bathe so he smells just as bad as they do, almost worse. They’d fought him once but still Valeera has no idea how he’ll fight against this team. 

The elf team on the other end of the area walk into the center from their alcove. Valeera takes it as a sign and walks out as well with Broll at her side. Crocbait follows just behind the spear held wrong his hands. 

“Here we go!” The announcer shouts in orcish. 

“We have Yroh Stonelash’s team! Anyone here looking to see some moon elves get slaughtered!” The crowd cheers as the team smash their weapons together over their heads. One has a set of throwing knives similar to Valeera’s, another is armed with twin swords, while the last has a shield and a spear. They clearly had first pick of the armory. 

“Rehgar Earthfury is trying to make a comeback with this new team! We even have a human on this one!” The crowd goes into full uproar at that to which Crocbait bares his teeth. 

“Let the battle begin.” Someone blows a horn and the other team takes no time in attacking. The man with the throwing knives sends one right at Valeera’s throat but she dodges it and it slams into the wall behind her. The woman with dual swords is rushing Broll and swiping at his staff. She cuts off the bottom half of it and slices against Broll’s leg. 

The elf with the shield jabs her spear towards Crocbait. He dodges just in time and tries to parry but it comes out clumsy, as if he’s never held a spear before. She almost rushes to save him but thinks better of it when a throwing knife hits her shoulder. She has more pressing matters. 

She rushes in, dodging another throwing dagger and tries to slice at him. She has less knives than he does and needs to even the odds. He’s dual wielding now, slicing in the same way she is. A sword fight with daggers. He drags one down her arm that draws a pained noise out of her. With a grunt she knicks his neck. 

He’s so shocked at how close she got he slips up a little and blocks her right hand which is going for his heart. He completely misses her left hand which slams one of her daggers into his gut. His eyes grow wide while Valeera smirks, but that gives him time to stab through her right hand. She drops the dagger she was holding with a half scream. 

He pulls away from her and uses the dagger he just stabbed her with to make another move at her. This time he aims for her gut in what she can only assume is payback. She tries to dodge it but it still lands in her side. Still, it’s only on the edge and better than where she hit him. He has to spend precious seconds pulling the blade out of her which gives Valeera just enough time to grab the dagger she lost in his gut. 

She pulls sideways with all the strength she has and he screams. He’s bleeding dark blue from the huge gash she’s just inflicted. He stumbles back and grasps at his side with both hands. She jumps for his neck and slices it quickly with her dagger. She has two left so she takes the moment to steal his. 

She looks at her teammates and makes the decision to help Broll first. He still hasn’t transformed and is holding off as best he can against two swords. She throws one of her blades and it slams into the woman’s shin. She growls and turns her attention to Valeera. 

“Come on and get it!” She shouts and the crowd shouts along with her. The woman jumps at her and slices at her left arm. Valeera only ends up with a nick in the arm. She tries to gain some distance and throw again but this woman is just as fast as she is. It’s all she can do to keep dodging just enough not to lose anything important. 

Valeera tries to throw one of her blades but the woman knocks it away with her swords. She smiles and licks the blade clean of Valeera’s blood. Valeera takes the perceived chance to jump at the woman and stab the hand with the newly clean blade. She does that but the woman’s grip is still strong on her sword. It is the other sword that causes Valeera real trouble as it is slashed against her leg. 

She retreats so that she doesn’t lose the leg at the cost of another dagger. She has two chances left and then she’s weaponless. Something roars and a bear rushes forward to slash at the woman. Valeera can’t help but smile, Broll managed to use that piece of shit staff anyways. 

She turns to crocbait, who is still losing his fight. He’s battered badly but still going strong. It’s his use of the spear that’s wrong he clearly doesn’t know how to use it. She manages to get to his side and asses the situation. He’s stabbing as if his spear is a sword, which is just the wrong way to go about it. 

“Throw me that.” She commands him and he does so the the uproar of the audience. First rule of the arena is to never be without a weapon. She snaps the body of the spear over her knee and tosses the side with the blade back over to Crocbait. With the improved control he blocks an attack by the woman and makes a broken mark in her spear. He repeats the action when she attacks again, and breaks the spear in two. 

He rushes and picks up the broken thing before letting out a howl. He begins his assault in full, reminding Valeera of the damage he had inflicted in Broll, a man he had known would not try to kill him. 

The elven woman is being pushed back as Crocbait stabs his shortened spear into every opening he can get. She can’t block all of his attacks with the size of the shield, so he stabs into her leg. She gives a cry as blood spurts from the wound. Crocbait doesn’t even pause for breath. He drops one of his spears and grabs the end of the shield pulling it away from her. He growls and the crowd goes wild. 

In any other scenario she would have turned to Broll but she can’t help but watch Crocbait fight. He stabs into her neck causing midnight blood to gurgle out of her mouth. He pulls across and splits her down the middle. Blood splatters all over him in a moment of brutal glory. Broll’s victim gives a last dying gasp as the entire arena is completely silent. Then they start cheering. 

Valeera looks to Crocbait, soaking in their applause, and wonders if her companion is even a person at all.


End file.
